Researchers from KU Leuven discover tropical parasite in fresh waters in Southern Europe
What could be more enjoyable while on holiday in the South than splashing around in a river, pond or lake in hot weather? But you still need to beware: KU Leuven is warning holidaymakers of a tropical parasite that develops in freshwater snails and can cause the infectious disease schistosomiasis.
There have been warnings about schistosomiasis or bilharzia in tropical areas for quite a long time now. The cause of this infectious disease is a parasitic flatworm that chooses a freshwater snail as its host. From that tiny snail, hundreds to thousands of white larvae are ultimately released and they then target human beings. About six weeks after they bore through the skin, the symptoms – skin rash, headache, anaemia, blood in urine or stool, severe abdominal pain – start to appear. If left untreated, infertility, bladder cancer, liver fibrosis or, in young children, growth and learning delays cannot be ruled out. There is no vaccine against this disease, but there is effective medication. But that doesn't mean to say that it won't have a significant impact on the life of an infected person. Fatalities are fortunately very rare, but vigilance is obviously required.
The parasite is already being found in southern Spain and Corsica. Due to global warming, KU Leuven expects it to advance northwards with the freshwater snail during the course of this century, placing open-water swimmers in half of Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and southern France at risk of infection.